Mercedes-Benz BlueZero E-Cell Plus
Mercedes-Benz will soon introduce its answer to the Chevrolet Volt.
One of three variants of electrically powered cars shown at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit earlier this year, the BlueZero E-Cell Plus is powered by lithium-ion batteries capable of moving the vehicle 62 miles on a single charge.
It will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show this month.
A range-extending one-liter, three-cylinder gasoline engine powers a generator that delivers electricity to the batteries and extends the car’s range from 62 to nearly 400 miles. The batteries can also be recharged at home from the power grid.
The BlueZero E-Cell Plus is a five-door hatchback built off the frame of Mercedes-Benz A-Class cars that are not sold in the United States.
However, the company said it plans to put the front-wheel-drive electric cars into production and lease them in Europe and North America beginning in 2011
The BlueZero E-Cell Plus can accelerate from a stop to 60 mph in under 11 seconds and reach a top speed of about 90 mph.
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Comments
Great, another EV-1 fiasco. "lease the car". I'll take a pass. And what happens at the end of the lease? Mercedes crushes them in the Arizona desert?
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